Boxing, often perceived as a combat sport, offers a dynamic and effective path to weight loss and overall fitness. This article explores the multifaceted benefits of boxing, from its calorie-burning prowess to its positive impact on mental well-being. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or a beginner, boxing can be tailored to suit your fitness level and goals.
Why Boxing is a Great Workout for Weight Loss
Boxing is a mix of both cardio and strength training all in one, making it the ultimate combo for your health and weight loss goals. With cardio, you’re elevating your heart rate as you sweat off the calories. With strength training, you’re building up your muscle mass and metabolism. So if weight loss is one of your fitness goals, then it’s time to step into the ring.
The Ultimate Cardio Workout
A cardiovascular workout is any moderate or vigorous-intensity workout that gets your heart rate pumping and raises your oxygen and blood flow throughout the body. It’s a must-have for any workout routine, especially if you’re hoping to lose weight. That’s because it gets your body moving, sweating, and burning both fat and calories. Boxing is the ultimate form of cardio. You’re always moving when you’re boxing, whether you’re throwing punches, bobbing and weaving, or doing strength conditioning. Regular cardiovascular exercise can help strengthen your heart and lungs as your body learns how to efficiently increase your oxygen input and blood flow. The stronger your heart and lungs get through exercise, the more efficiently they can deliver oxygen and blood throughout your body. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week.
Boxing: A Full-Body Workout
Boxing is more than a cardio workout; it's a full-body strength challenge that builds muscle all over, not just in your arms. When you throw a punch, the force of your impact comes not only from your arms and shoulders but from your legs hip, core, back, and glute muscles. Your legs power your movement, your hips rotate to deliver explosive power, and your core and glute muscles maintain your boxing foundation. In your defensive moves, you also need glute, core, and leg strength as you bob, weave, and stay low. While constantly moving and staying light on your feet, you’ll be building lower body strength and holding that core nice and tight in your boxer stance. A focus on strength-building in combination with cardio increases the intensity of your workout, making it easier for you to both lose weight and build strength.
Calorie Burning Potential
All of this full-body cardio movement and strength training has the potential to burn a ton of calories. According to Valdosta State University, boxing can burn anywhere between 354 to 558 calories per hour depending on your weight. And the calorie-burning doesn’t stop once you finish. With a high-intensity workout like boxing, your body could experience something called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This is when your metabolism stays elevated and continues to burn calories even after you finish working out as your body is still working hard to repair muscle tissue and bring your body’s function back to normal. All of that requires energy in the form of calories.
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Building Muscle and Resting Metabolic Rate
While it’s helpful to look at how many calories you burn during exercise, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. 50-80% of your total daily energy use comes from your resting metabolic rate, or how much energy your body uses at rest. The higher your resting metabolic rate, the more efficiently your body burns calories. One way to do that is to increase your muscle mass. Muscle requires a lot more energy to maintain than fat does. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’re burning as you rest. By incorporating strength-building into your workout routine, you can help your body become a more efficient calorie-burning machine. While it’s great that boxing could help you burn hundreds of calories during your workout, the real calorie-burning potential comes from the full-body muscle tissue you’re building every time you step into the ring. Even a little bit of muscle growth can go a long way in helping you burn more calories.
Boxing for Weight Loss: More Than Just Physical Benefits
Boxing can help you lose weight. Especially a workout that takes boxing to a whole new level. But more importantly, cardio and strength training are great for your overall health, both physical and mental. Boxing it out in the ring boosts your confidence, reduces your stress levels, improves your sleep, and enhances your mental functioning. It also improves your cardiovascular health, reducing your risk for some serious health concerns! Boxing with is about way more than weight loss. It’s about taking care of your body, feeling strong and confident, punching away your stress, building community, and losing yourself in the music. Because when you feel good, you look good. That’s what matters, not the number on the scale. When you feel good in your body, this helps open the door for all the other things you want to do in your life. The possibilities are endless for what you can accomplish with better mental and physical health.
Stress Relief and Mental Well-being
One of the notable benefits of boxing for weight loss is its ability to build lean muscle while burning fat. Boxing also serves as a powerful stress-reliever. As you throw punches, your body releases endorphins, also known as “happy hormones”, boosting your mood and self-esteem.
Boxing helps boost confidence for two reasons. Boxing is a great workout because it’s also a lot of fun. Plus, as you become more skilled at boxing, you can start competing in amateur boxing matches. As a boxing instructor, I find that many of my clients take up the sport for its mental health benefits: It can serve as an outlet for releasing anger, reducing stress and increasing self-esteem.
A review published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that no-contact boxing can reduce anger and stress, improve mood and self-esteem and a create a stronger mind-body connection. The authors also found that recreational boxing can have a “significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD and negative symptoms of schizophrenia."
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Community and Support
One of the lesser-known but essential benefits of boxing for weight loss is the sense of community it fosters. Spartans Boxing Club is a community-driven boxing gym that offers a range of classes tailored to different skill levels. Their mantra, “Boxing for Everyone,” creates an inclusive and welcoming environment. Boxing being so popular makes training more enjoyable. Once you get the hang of things, you can visit other boxing gyms to spar with new faces.
Getting Started with Boxing for Weight Loss
Starting boxing has never been easier! The new year is an ideal time to reset routines and add elements that will be beneficial in the long term. Part of optimizing physical health often includes losing weight, and boxing is an effective and exciting way to shed pounds.
Accessibility and Adaptability
Unlike many other martial arts, boxing offers a relatively quick and straightforward learning curve, making it an excellent option for beginners. Boxing for weight loss can be tailored for every level of fighter and scale up as fitness improves. Do I need to be fit to start boxing? No, boxing can be tailored for beginners and scaled up as fitness improves. Many like to switch up their regular cardio routines by alternating in boxing sessions. These will have an instructor who will guide you through the movements.
The Right Gear and Equipment
One of the great things about boxing for weight loss is you can simply show up and begin. However, you’ll first need to be equipped with the right gear for safety and protection. Every boxer, from beginner to professional, requires boxing gloves. Hand wraps are essential before putting on boxing gloves. Hanging heavy bags are a key fixture in any boxing gym. Though not required by all boxing gyms, wearing proper boxing shoes supports footwork and reduces the risk of injury. Hayabusa has everything you need to boost your fitness levels and feel like a fighter.
Different Types of Boxing Workouts
A basic boxing workout involves a combination of punches and kicks performed at a quick pace. But first, you have to learn these moves and get the hang of the proper techniques before you can pick up speed and endurance. Some of the basic boxing movements to learn include: jabs, crosses, uppercuts, hooks, roundhouse kicks, front kicks, side kicks. As you get these movements down, you can build your way up to combinations that will also work your core with each twist, such as double hooks, jab cross intervals, and jab side kicks.
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Once you’ve got the basic boxing moves down, you might consider getting a bag for your home, or perhaps join a class at your gym that uses a variety of bags for punches and kicks. Adding a bag or two to your boxing routine adds more resistance, helping your burn even more calories. You’ll also strengthen your muscles, too.
The best boxing workouts that are cardio-focused typically come in the form of high-intensity cardio kickboxing. You’ll learn the same basic boxing techniques, such as jabs and roundhouse kicks, but cardio routines tend to be faster paced. You may have a brief period of “active” resting in between circuits, but you’re expected to work your hardest when the circuit starts back up so that your heart rate stays at an intense level. Cardio kickboxing may be offered with or without bags at a gym.
As you become more accustomed to your boxing routine and are ready for another challenge, consider adding weights to your workout. You can use light dumbbells for jabs and crosses. Other options include doing weighted exercises during your active rest periods, such as squats with dumbbells, kettlebell swings, and basic bicep curls. Boxing workouts with weights offer strength-building opportunities without having to do a full separate workout from your cardio routine.
Aside from the use of weights in boxing routines, you can focus on bodyweight activities as well as heavier bags in your workout. Punches and kicks on the bag is also more effective for building strength compared with doing so in the air. The bag offers more resistance. A strengthening boxing workout can also incorporate bodyweight exercises, such as planks and pushups.
Boxing footwork entails constant movement during your movements and in between your circuits. Footwork in an exercise routine builds agility and speed, which can help you in other activities outside of your workouts, such as walking and running. Your basic stance in a boxing routine is in a “box” shape, which mimics what your stance would look like if you were in a real boxing ring. It’s also important to learn the basics of good boxing footwork so that you’re working your core muscles with every punch and kick, instead of your back.
Finding Classes and Training
At places like Spartans Boxing Club, participants benefit from expert guidance from coaches who tailor the boxing workouts to individual needs. Taking a class is a good boxing workout for beginners to receive the instruction needed to improve form and technique. You can find an option that suits your comfort level by choosing between sparring and non-sparring classes. The choice not to spar caters to those who may prefer a less aggressive approach to their fitness routine. Contact Onelife Fitness for your FREE PASS and all our gym classes across GA, MD, VA, DC & WV.
At-Home Boxing Workouts
If you want to put your boxing stance and punches to the test at home before you step into a class, there are plenty of free boxing workouts for beginners available. Shadowboxing is commonly part of a warm-up to a complete boxing workout. The resistance of a heavy bag instantly amps up the calorie burn of a boxing workout. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves a series of calorie-burning boxing drills.
Here are a few options:
- 10-Minute Cardio Boxing Class: This class is a great place to start. You get to practice your six punches and a common defense move, the duck.
- 30-Minute Boxing Workout For All Levels: Choose your own adventure in this boxing interval workout. After deciding your preferred level, run through shadowboxing and HIIT exercises that will get your heart pumping and blood flowing.
- FightCamp 30-Minute Full-Body Kickboxing Workout: Step into the virtual ring with six rounds of work to throw all six punches, plus some defense moves, HIIT exercises and kicks thrown into the mix.
Essential Boxing Punches
There are six punches in the boxing punch number system that focus on four main boxing punches: jab, cross, hook and uppercut. Punches 1, 3 and 5 are on your front hand, while punches 2, 4 and 6 are on your back hand. Get into your boxing stance, and practice throwing each of the numbered punches below:
- Jab: Extend your front arm straight out in front of you while turning your palm down. Keep your feet planted in your boxing stance. Envision hitting the nose of your opponent or the center of the bag.
- Cross: Perform the same movement as a jab, but with your back hand. This time, keep your weight in your front foot and pivot on the toe of your back foot for extra hip rotation.
- Front hook: Externally rotate your front hip, opening up the hip and taking your front hand slightly away from your face, getting ready to wind up your punch. Bring your elbow up parallel to the ground, with a straight line from your to fist to your elbow and 90-degree angle with your arm, palm facing you. Swipe the first straight across the body by pivoting your front foot to put the weight in your back leg. Envision hitting the jaw of your opponent, or the side of the bag.
- Back hook: Using your back hand, do the same movement as you did with the front hook. This time, pivot your back foot for extra hip rotation so your weight shifts onto your front leg.
- Front uppercut: Bring your front elbow down to your ribcage with your palm facing you, crunching slightly toward the elbow. Then, move your hips up to generate momentum in an upward motion, bringing your knuckles up and out in front of you to the bottom of the bag. As you punch, pivot your front foot so the weight shifts to your back leg. Envision hitting the belly of your opponent or the bottom of the bag.
- Back uppercut: Using your back hand, perform the same movement as a front uppercut. This time, pivot your back foot for extra hip rotation so your weight shifts into your front leg.
Mastering the Boxing Stance
Before throwing punches, you want to perfect your boxing stance. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step the foot on your dominant-hand side a few feet back, so that your non-dominant hand and foot are in the front. (If you’re right-handed, your right foot goes back). Your front toes should point to the front of the room, while your back toes should be pointed out at a 45-degree angle. Bring both hands up into a fist right below your chin, and tuck your elbows in by your sides. You’re ready to go!
Important Considerations for Safe and Effective Boxing
Boxing can be an effective routine that can produce quick results, but it isn’t wise to jump right into a high-intensity workout without getting down the basic moves first. You can find a wide variety of videos to watch at home that show you the right way to do your kicks and punches. Overextending your arms and legs can lead to injury. You’ll also learn how to properly tighten your core muscles so that you protect your back.
Warm-up and Cool-down
No matter which boxing program you do choose, be sure you practice the movements slowly at first before working your way up to a nonstop routine. This way, you’ll get the most of out your workout while preventing injuries. Be sure to warm up properly for at least five minutes beforehand, and allow your body to cool down after each boxing workout.
Listen to Your Body
If you’re carrying extra weight, you might be cautious about working out due to the excess pressure exercise can put on your knees. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to get a good boxing workout in safely so you can lose weight and keep your workout low impact. This can involve lower kicks, slower jab-cross motions, and more.
Consult Professionals
Also, be sure to talk to your doctor if you’re new to exercising. You may also want to get the OK from your doctor if you have any recent injuries, back problems, or cardiovascular disease. Due to its cardiovascular and strength-training benefits, boxing exercises are beneficial for muscle building, weight loss, and overall cardiovascular conditioning. If you’re new to boxing (and exercise in general), it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting a workout program.
Boxing Through History
It’s also known to be one of the original sports featured in the Ancient Olympic Games. Then, in the 1860s, a set of regulations known as the Queensberry Rules were established. These 12 rules provided guidelines and discipline that established formality in the sport, setting the groundwork for what is known as a professional boxing match today. Boxing officially became part of the Summer Olympic Games in 1904 and has since featured some of the boxing greats: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Floyd Patterson, to name a few. Women’s boxing was added to the Games in 2012, two decades after USA Boxing officially lifted its ban on the sport in 1993, per USA Boxing. No-contact boxing, or boxing that doesn’t involve contact with an opponent, has grown in popularity, too, with national gyms like Title Boxing, UFC Gym and Mayweather Boxing + Fitness providing a range of group fitness classes for all levels. It has also become a staple workout in fitness clubs and has entered the boutique studio space in recent years.